The visit 10 x 8'' oil (SOLD)

Here's a study I did for a recent  large commission. It shows the Bounty visiting the Maritime museum in St Michaels MD

Zebra Foal 6x6 oil Sold

Pelican Quick Draw SOLD

I Just came across my "Quick Draw" painting from September's workshop in Dubois WY. I was so nervous , my hands were shaking to much to paint the dot in the Pelican's eye. I was pretty pleased with the painting though.

"Siberian Tiger" 6x6 oil SOLD "Sunrise at the Beach" 6x6 oil SOLD

"Sailing on the Tred Avon"(Gaff rigged Ketch) 6x6 and "Selina11 leaving St Michaels( Iris the Captain) 6x6 oilSOLD

"Waiting for their surfer Mom". (Assateague) 6x6 oil

"Fishermen" 6x6 oil

Well It's that time of year again. We are having the annual 6x6 mini show at the South street Art Gallery in Easton.

Great Blue Heron 36 x 24 oil SOLD

July Sail(skipjack) 7x5'' oil

''Tufted Duck'' 6x6 oil "Laughing Gulls" oil 6x6 ''Bald Eagle'' oil 6x6 SOLD

Here are some new minis for the Waterfowl Festival which begins tomorrow evening.

Amistead sketch and finished painting oil 24 x 36'' SOLD

Just finished this painting

White Ibises Sketch

White Ibises in surf 60 x 75'' SOLD

I have just finished working on this commission. It really is rather large.  With the frame It is 66 x81''
 I had so much fun painting this.  White ibises are lovely. These birds kept bobbing in and out of the waves.
    The downside of doing a series of large commissions is that you miss all  other deadlines.  I wasn't able to submit to SAA or Birds in Art and I am scrambling before the Waterfowl Fest.  However I am going to find it hard to get back to normal. There's no excuse to paint a 7ft painting of swans or an

 8ft wave…… But I am tempted!!

Snowy Patrol (Snowy Egret) 9 x 12 oil SOLD

I needed A mini to take out to the  annual Susan Kathleen Black foundation workshop in Dubois WY. I will be teaching oil painting.  I know it isn't the first Egret I have painted, but I wanted to paint typical Hillier piece.

The finished painting 51 x 45'' oil SOLD

Sketch

This is an oil sketch of a large painting I have just completed showing Snowy Egrets Great Egrets and white faced Ibises.

A Good Stretch" oil 36 x 24'' (Won "Peoples' Choice" at Best Of Chesapeake Show")

Enjoying the shade oil 7 x 5 Tulum Mexico

Peacock Feather 3 x 6" oil (SOLD)

"Island Blossom (Log Canoe) SOLD "Evening Sail On the Tred Avon"oil 12 x 9'' SOLD

"A Change Of Season" (Blackwater marshes) oil 18 x 24''

" Snowy Egret" (SOLD)," Wednesday Evening On The Miles" SOLD, Cat Boat all 6x6 oil

The Wedding Party 12 x 9 oil

This shows the beginning and the completed painting.  It shows my stepdaughter's wedding party arriving at the Miles River Yacht Club  on a Skipjack (The Herman Krentz) in the pouring rain. It was all very romantic, if just a little damp!

Great Egret 36 x 24 sold 

This is a subject I return to again and again. They are my passion.

Winter Morning On Woodland Creek, (Bald Eagle) 9 x 12 oil

We have a pair of Eagles that nest in the woods by Woodland Creek. I see them everyday. The sun comes up behind the trees and it is breathtaking in the morning light. This is the end of the creek and very shallow but the creek opens up into the Miles river. which rarely freezes.

Tatiana… Unfinished sketch 30 x 30'' oil

So nice to get out of the studio and paint with friends. Of course it helps to have such a super model, but never enough time to finish.

Great Blue heron portrait 9 x 6'' oil

"Ruby Throated Hummer" 6x6'' SOLD

And finally…… the finished painting!

"Braving the surf" oil 12 x 9'' Hummingbird 6x6'' oil

I just came across a couple of last year's paintings.

The hummingbird has already been posted but after the feedback I hope you will all forgive my Indulgence. Here are a couple of progress shots…..

I loved this lady with her son and that HAT!!

Sultana in the Severn 8 x 10 oil

I saw Sultana coming into Annapolis past a Navy Cadet regatta. I love the contrast of the sailboats against the Tall ship.
 Tall ships are so much to paint.  All the rigging, and sails

. It reminds me of making Airfix models as a kid.

Here's my sketch for Sea Grass.

Sea Grass (Snowy Egret) oil 30 x 45'' (SOLD)

I wanted to paint this Egret life size. I enjoyed the challenge of showing the sea grass caught in the wave. It was after a storm, and there were great clumps of grass floating in the surf.
  I'm really enjoying paintings birds life size. I painted a couple of life-size Peacocks last Summer The paintings were 8ft long. Next up is a life sized Osprey... I'm working up to a Rhino!!

"Feisty Gulls" 23 x 36'' oil on board SOLD

The finished painting.

Feisty Gulls 24 x 36'' oil Stage 1.

This is how I begin a painting.  I use a large filbert or flat brush and using Ultramarine, transparent earth red and alizarin paint, I do a tonal underpainting . You can see how watered down the paint is. It's lovely and loose. Easy to move the shapes around. I am posting a series of progression snaps. Once I have my shapes, composition and all my values in, then I begin to build up the paint and find the colors.

. Bounty at St Michaels, Sultana in Annapolis and Amistad and the Virginian on the Chester river.

I thought it might be fun to post some sketches . These are Ideas for larger paintings. I do this for most paintings. I have sketch books full of similar scribbles. The colour sketches are useful to show clients. they are oil on cartridge paper. They are an Invaluable way of sorting out compositions and above all getting an Idea down before it slips away. I will post these again when I have completed the finished paintings.